Courtesy of APGetty Images

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/26/travel/restricted-diet-travel/index.html?hpt=hp_bn7

The Portobello Café has a very simple motto: “Where Friends Meet to Eat.” In honor of such a simple yet special sentiment, I decided to call a couple of our best friends along with my husband, to enjoy a wonderful evening out. We had heard about the prixe fixe weekend menu for two and decided to give it a try.

The idea of its prixe fixe menu for two at $75.00 was so intriguing to us, because you never see those divine deals on the weekend.  It included a complimentary bottle of house wine red or white, or a pitcher of Sangria or mixed drink, and a three course meal (appetizer, entrée, and dessert) and a large variety of teas, and coffees (including cappuccino for no additional cost). What more could a fabulous dining experience contain?

The answer is an amazing ambience, and excellent service.  Well, Portobello café seemed to fit the bill, because the dining room was warm and cozy and the staff catered to our every whim. It is not a huge place by any means, so you will need to make a reservation especially if you go on a Saturday evening.

We began our meal with a bottle of Cabernet and a bottle of Pinot Noir that were both satisfactory to all four of us. Since the menu is quite extensive, we all tried different appetizers, the escarole and pear salad, the fried calamari, Italian Egg Rolls (broccoli rape, risotto and sundried tomatoes) and classic escargot (in garlic cream sauce). Our entrees were: Apple Cheddar Stuffed Pork Chop and Black Angus NY Strip and Garlic Shrimp. The guys loved their succulent well seared pork chop but even though the steaks were huge, they were not warm and the shrimp were a little over cooked. Although we both thought the flavors were outstanding.

On to dessert, we had flaming Banana’s Foster, Chocolate Brownie Sundae and Warm Seasonal Cobbler with coffee, tea, and cappuccinos all of which were luscious and way too decadent but perfect none the less.

There were many menu items that were gluten-free and they do serve GF pasta. As always, let your server know your dietary restrictions. I found the staff to be very helpful so I am sure they will be glad to accommodate you as best they can.

Maybe a trip to the outer boroughs will surprise your palate and your pocketbook too.

www.PortobelloCafe@aol.com

Now, I don’t trek all the way up to the Upper East Side that often, but when I went to visit friends this weekend, I noticed they lived underneath a very quaint little pizzeria. As luck would have it, right in the window was a glorious sign proclaiming, “We have gluten-free pizza.”

As of now, you won’t find the GF pizza on the menu, but be sure to call and ask or stop by. They’ll even deliver your GF treat with a variety of toppings. My favorite’s always some veggies and pepperoni. If you live in the hood, you can add it to the roster of GF-friendly delivery restaurants. And if you’re just swinging by, don’t forget to check it out.

For more information, check out the website http://luigisnyc.com/index.htm.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, a co-host on “The View” has released a cookbook “Deliciously G-Free.” for those looking for gluten-free recipes.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/foodwine/2017268853_glutenbooks19.html

And not only has Hasselbeck released a cookbook, but also a line of GF bars.

http://www.nogii.com/

In honor of National Soup Month this January, I decided to share one of my favorite soups with you. It may have quite a few ingredients but once it’s done you have a meal.  Just add some rice crackers, and a sensational salad and your meal is complete. Jump right in and soak up all these delicious flavors in your mouth and you will be back for more.

Ingredients:

1 whole cooked rotisserie chicken, meat diced and skin removed

2 tbsps olive oil

1 small white onion diced

1 celery stalk cleaned and diced

1 carrot stalk cleaned and diced

2 tbsps of minced garlic

1 tbsp of Mrs. Dash seasoning

64 oz of low sodium chicken broth (2 cartons)

1tbsp of tomato paste

1c of canned Cannellini beans strained and rinsed with water

1/2c of gluten-free elbow pasta or orzo (small pasta)

¼ c of chopped sun dried tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

½ tsp of Pecorino Romano Cheese

1 tsp light sour cream

1 leaf chopped fresh basil for garnish

Procedure:

In a large stock pot add the olive oil and onions and sauté on medium till translucent then add the celery, carrot, garlic, and Mrs. Dash and sauté another 3 minutes.

Now add the frame of your chicken (that has had the meat and skin removed) to the pot.  It is fine to leave some small pieces of chicken on the frame for flavor. Sauté the chicken frame or carcass with the other ingredients, for another 3-5 minutes until all the flavors is mixed well.

Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil on high, mixing well. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for another hour.  Then strain the soup and return the broth to the pot and let stand till cools and remove the layer of skin which is fat on the top.

Finally, re-boil the broth and add the diced chicken, sun dried tomatoes pasta and beans and cook as directed on pasta package probably another 8-10 minutes.  Serve this soup in a nice large bowl with some grated Pecorino Romano Cheese and chopped fresh basil on top and even a dollop of light sour cream for contrast.

This soup is very nutritious and during cold and flu season chicken soup helps fight what ails you. I have used GF ingredients in my recipe, but as always make sure to double check your brands to ensure everything accommodates your basic requirements.  Just eliminate the sour cream if you have a lactose allergy.

Serving this soup to friends and family will make you a very popular person to visit in January because, it is guaranteed; they will keep coming back for more. Great for Football Sundays too!  Soups on!

Q: Tell us about how you came to opening a vineyard? 

A: I had a nice career in the Shopping Center Industry, doing real estate work, but I was at a point in my life where I needed to make a change in lifestyle, and fortunately I could. My oldest son and I would talk about my options, what WAS the lifestyle I sought? So we started thinking… It needed to be challenging and rewarding – with a sense of personal accomplishment and style. Years ago I had wanted to open a wine bar and prior to that I had looked at adventure travel companies. I had visited wineries and vacationed doing wine tours, recalling those trips is when it began to gel. I wanted to build a family business, a winery, with control of the vineyard and see the process through from grape to glass. The best part of all this was my son, Tony, caught the bug too! The next thing you know, we’re collaborating on brand development and I’m on a plane!

Q: What inspired you to do so and why settle in Sonoma?

A: Once the decision was made, we started looking at winegrowing areas online. There were vineyards for sale in Argentina that were attractively priced, but my Spanish is weak and there would be few folks flying ten hours and driving another five to come see me! I had loved Oregon Pinot’s for years, but ultimately decided that living there year round wasn’t my first choice. Every month I would fly from Chicago and scout around, talking to everyone. I started in Napa and made my way through Sonoma until I stumbled upon Healdsburg. That’s when things began to click. As always, I talked and talked to everyone. Which is how I came to find the property on Limerick Lane. The first time I pulled in the driveway I knew it was home. I couldn’t sleep that night and called Tony early the next morning to tell him that things were going to start moving fast. There’s something about this area and Sonoma County in general. I believe that since its still an agricultural based area, it keeps things grounded and genuine. With some of the best wines in the world coming from wineries within a few miles of here, there could be a tendency for noses to get raised, but when you boil it down, wine-making is farming first, and that’s good honest work that keeps people friendly and helpful.

Q: What types of grapes do you grow/how many varietals do you produce and which ones?

A: One of the most fascinating things about our vineyard is the diversity here and it’s due to our micro-climate. We’re on the East side of the Russian River, almost at the intersection of three other AVA’s: Alexander Valley, Dry Creek and Chalk Hill. The Russian River Valley has these little pockets tucked away where it’s warm enough for Zinfandel and Cabernet, but it’s not too hot, so our Pinot and Chardonnay flourish.

In all, there are 12 different varietals growing here. Two clones of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Alicante Bouchet, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir and the only Prosecco grapes grown in the region. This was created through grafting by the owner, Steve Aitken, back in the late 1990′s and early 2000′s.

Q: What’s the best part about wine making for you? 

A: Wow, it has to be the crush. That two months or so of harvesting the grapes is an intoxicating time (pun intended)!  Everything moves in high gear. There’s a build up too, you monitor the grapes as they become ripe. There’s the sugar or Brix, the ph and acid levels of the grapes along with flavors, watching the weather and humidity and potential mold threats. And with these many varietals, you must manage your tank space. The different varietals ripen at different times. You can’t tell them your not ready, the tank is still full and fermenting. The grapes tell you when they’re ready and you better be too! You work many hours, starting before dawn and you go till its done. I’ve known some folks that worked 24 hours. I’ve been lucky, only pulling a couple 18-hour shifts. Then, you get up the next morning and do it again. It’s fun though, very satisfying!

Q: What would be your perfect wine/food pairing?

A: Well that changes for me, today I’m thinking about our Chardonnay with BBQ Oysters! Put `em on the grill, dab a little sauce made with BBQ, garlic, butter, hot sauce and lemon juice. Had that last weekend, incredible! Tonight I’m looking forward to a simple dish of fresh pasta and three cheese sausage with our Five Vines, a Meritage containing all of our Bordeaux’s. On Sunday afternoons I like to nibble on fresh fruit and sip our Prosecco. It has to be real easy for me, but that’s what I enjoy!

Q: How was 2011 in terms of wine producing? 

A: 2011 was challenging! Our weather played head games with us. For the second year in a row, we had cooler temps and fog that didn’t burn off till mid/late morning for a good part off the season. But top start things, we had several days of rain in June, the first time in over 100 years it rained in June. That affected many growers, creating weak fruit set. So the yield was down for quite a few growers. Then it ended with a lot of fruit not producing the typical sugars and we got hit with Botrytis, a mold that spreads in the vineyard quickly, rotting the grapes. In the end, we were lucky and the effects of all that only held us back slightly. It’s early, and I’m hopeful the quality is as good as 2010. We’ll wait and see how things look in the spring.

Q: Tell our readers one thing they might not know about wine making/producing.

A: There are maybe two things that come to mind. First, winemaker is often interchangable with dishwasher. The amount of water we go through for cleaning is amazing. You clean everything before, sometimes during, and after you use it. If you use it the next morning after you cleaned it the night before, it doesn’t matter, clean it again! You can’t risk a bad microbe having fun with your wine! The second thing is how wines change. You can taste a barrel at 6 months and be so disappointed with it and come back in three months and be so proud of it. Sometimes it just needs time to develop and sometimes it needs a little intervention to keep it on track. Either way, you worry a lot until it’s in the bottle.

Q: What’s next for Viszlay Vineyards? Future plans?

A: This year we are launching a barrel club at the winery. This is for individuals, couples, small group of friends or companies that may want to make their own wine. It’s an estate program, pick which of our estate fruit you want to use, participate in harvesting, crushing, fermenting and barreling your own barrel! The cost is about 40% off the retail price. I think a lot of people are going to enjoy making their own Russian River wines!

On a wonderful wintry afternoon my family and I took a lovely road trip to Pleasantville, New York, to meet up with a colleague who had recommended a fabulous French Restaurant named Jean-Jacques. Our friend heard that they are in the business of preparing some unbelievably tantalizing offerings—some of which are gluten-free.  The restaurant was located in the heart of a quaint little town with tree lined streets, a perfect place to meet and eat.

At first glance, we were tempted with a vision of an amazing array of different French pastries, breads, cookies, and muffins at the gorgeous glass display counter.  The bistro has a cozy set up where you give the staff your food order at the counter, and purchase your meal with open seating. This option seems very easy for the patrons made me feel right at home.

On to the menu, as families do, we decided to try a variety of things to share, since everything looked so scrumptious.  There were so many great choices we just couldn’t decide.  But with some helpful recommendations about the menu and their daily specials from Jeanette Gabrillargues, Director of Events, and her gracious mother, our unique choices were made.

First, we sampled two different soups. We tried a ginger carrot and the second was a split pea.  The ginger carrot was spicy and flavorful and the split pea was very savory, and had a tasty old-world flavor that hit the spot.  (Both soups were GF.)

Our next course was sandwiches and wraps.  My husband had a thinly sliced roast beef with tangy horseradish, lettuce and tomatoes, and sprouts on a baguette.  The rest of us shared some GF wraps:  one was a curry Turkey salad with apples and walnuts, the second was an avocado, goat cheese and tomato, the third was a chunky chicken and bacon and the last was a French goat cheese with prosciutto and roasted pepper.

Of course we saved the best for last, dessert.  When in a French restaurant you must have a patisserie.  We headed for the inherently GF ones such as: the Dacquoise (fresh whipped cream, chocolate mousse and almond meringue)and  the Elysse(Chocolate mousse, almond butter cream and almond meringue). My husband had a Trio Chocolate (chocolate mousse, whipped cream and sponge cake using three chocolates). I also enjoyed a creamy latte to accompany our dessert feast.  All components of our meal were tres magnifique!

The hospitality at Jean-Jacques was heartwarming, so knowing that they are a full service caterer who handles special events even weddings on and off premises was great to know.

As for me, I was ecstatic because I went home with an Espresso Buche de Noël Christmas Log, (sponge cake rolled in espresso coffee mouse and whipped cream shaped like a log), and for all of you who can have gluten, it was the most exquisite Christmas log I have ever eaten.  Bon Appetite!

The Lady in Red

Serves 4 to 6 amply

This is evidently based on coq au vin. This is adapted for a regular chicken. I think that you will find it rich enough to satisfy. Leftover wine or a half bottle should do nicely. Serve with gluten-free noodles, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or Acorn Squash Puree.

Ingredients:

1 pound smoky bacon in one piece, cut in half lengthwise and then across into ¼-inch strips

One 5-pound chicken, skinned, cut into parts, with breast cut across into 2 pieces (with optional addition of an extra breast cut in two or a leg and thigh, separated)

1 ¼ pounds white mushrooms, stems removed and sliced across, caps cut into quarters or sixths, depending on size

1 pound cippoline or other small onions

One 6-ounce can tomato paste

½ bottle red wine

1 bay leaf

2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

½ cup minced parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Put the bacon pieces in a pan just large enough to hold the chicken. Sauté the bacon until well browned and the fat has oozed out. Move the bacon to a small bowl, leaving the fat in the pan. Put the chicken pieces in the pan and sauté over medium heat, turning the pieces over from time to time, until lightly browned on all sides. Move to a bowl. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring, until browned.  Add the onions to the pan and cook until lightly browned. Move to the mushroom bowl.

Stir the tomato paste and wine into the pan. The sauce can be made ahead up to this point.

About 30 minutes before serving, add the chicken and bay leaf to the pan. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Stick a knife into the thick part of the chicken to make sure it is done; the juices should run clear. Add the onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are warm. Stir in the parsley and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste, Stir in the bacon.